Rights of Man, Common Sense, and Other Political Writings

THE following little Piece was written in the winter of 1795
and '96; and, as I had not determined whether to publish it
during the present war,* or to wait till the commencement of
a peace, it has lain by me, without alteration or addition,
from the time it was written.

What has determined me to publish it now is, a Sermon,
preached by WATSON, Bishop of Landaff.* Some of my readers will recollect, that this Bishop wrote a book, intitled, An
Apology for the Bible, in answer to mySecond Part of the
Age of Reason. I procured a copy of his book, and he may
depend upon hearing from me on that subject.

At the end of the Bishop's book is a list of the Works he has
written, among which is the Sermon alluded to; it is intitled,

'THE WISDOM AND GOODNESS OF GOD, IN HAVING
MADE BOTH RICH AND POOR; with an Appendix, containing REFLECTIONS ON THE PRESENT STATE OF ENGLAND
AND FRANCE.'

The error contained in the title of this Sermon, determined me
to publish my Agrarian Justice. It is wrong to say that God
made Rich and Poor; he made only Male and Female; and he
gave them the earth for their inheritance.*

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Instead of preaching to encourage one part of mankind in

insolence

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it would

be better that Priests employed their time to render the general
condition of man less miserable them it is. Practical religion

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